Video shows Gov. Ducey's son apologizing for his 'mistake' as he's arrested over fake ID

Body-cam footage from Scottsdale police shows Joseph Ducey complying with officers and later being picked up by his older brother after he was discovered with a fake ID.
Arizona Republic

Scottsdale police released on Friday body-cam video depicting the arrest of one of Gov. Doug Ducey's sons, who was apprehended by officers and cited with using a forged ID to enter a bar.(Photo: Scottsdale Police Department)

During the episode, the officers and Ducey were cordial with each other. It appeared that officers realized who they had arrested after they saw his real ID.

"Oh, we've met," an unidentified officer says after looking at Ducey's ID. "I believe this is the second time."

The same officer, some time later, asks Ducey whether he would have a ride home if police don't take him to jail. The officer tells Ducey if police cite and release him, and not hold him in jail, they worry that Ducey would try to go back into a bar and be arrested again.

"Sir, I understand and I know you don't take criminals' credibility for chance," Ducey tells the officer in the video. "But I can guarantee you, sir, I'll be headed straight home. One, because I know the mistake I made tonight and I know. Sir, trust me. I know the mistake I made tonight and I will not make it again."

Ducey tells the officer that his older brother, who eventually does pick him up from the scene, will give him a ride home.

"The other part of this is that your dad is who he is. You're going to have to tell him," the officer tells Ducey. "Even if you're not physically arrested, I'm sure someone is going to search in the morning and find your name and it's going to come up."

Shortly after being sworn in, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey gets a hug from son Sam Ducey as sons Joe Ducey (left) and Jack Ducey (second from right) look on during inauguration ceremonies at the Arizona Capitol on Jan. 5, 2015, in Phoenix.(Photo: Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press)

Earlier in the conversation, Ducey told the officer that he went to the bar with his fraternity brothers, who are at least 23 years old. He told police, the video shows, the fraternity brothers told him he could enter the bar with a forged ID.

Officer Jasperson, the officer who cited and released Ducey, wrote in his report the governor's son had a South Carolina ID.

"I noticed that the ID had poor lamination around it and the plastic would come off of the ID when folded slightly in half," he wrote.

When Ducey's brother arrives, the officer wishes the younger Ducey good luck.

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"I appreciate how you treated us. And It won't happen again," the younger Ducey responds.

Scottsdale police previously said the way officers handled the situation would have been the same, even if the person being arrested weren't a governor's son.

"We treated him the same as we would have any other person in that situation," said Sgt. Ben Hoster, a Scottsdale police spokesman.

Patrick Ptak, Gov. Ducey's spokesman, didn't immediately respond to an email from The Arizona Republic seeking comment Friday morning. But the governor previously released a statement:

"He's going to face the same legal and family consequences as any other 19-year old in this circumstance would, and we will handle this the same way any other Arizona family would. Thank you for respecting our privacy."

The incident started when police were searching for another man.

According to the police report, Jasperson, who was on patrol in the area on a bicycle, saw a man jump the gates of Boondocks, bypassing the guards who were checking patrons' IDs.

Jasperson asked one of the security guards for Boondocks to notify him if they found or saw that man, the report says.

A security guard later told Jasperson that a different man, later identified as the younger Ducey, had entered the bar using a false ID, the report says.